Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Still Life of the Rich and Famous


My job sent me to Washington D.C. Tuesday to meet with the client's Global Team, who were in from the UK, installing some new hardware. The Global guys are pretty much in charge of everything and come across as major stiffs on-line but I found them pretty affable in person. We had a long but very productive meeting, which impressed the hell out of me. A productive meeting? The Biggest Boss confirmed my assessment of a certain situation we have, which made me feel extremely validated, since no one in our U.S.  division seems to understand what I have been telling them about their leading zeroes, calender dates and hogshead/bushel conversions, plus their  commas and ~ are acting up, which is a problem.

Someone else must have been having comma trouble that day, because my hotel reservation was botched...I had to wait in the lobby while the hotel contacted our travel desk. I was so tired by this point that I didn't really mind, since they had wi-fi and free coffee and I just wanted to sit for a while anyway.

Eventually the manager came out, introduced herself and told me they had upgraded my room to the 'Ninth Level', which was 'exclusive and private'. It even had a special elevator that the mortal patrons were not even allowed to ride on.

The elevator opened into a lounge area that was really like more of a library/den than a bar. There were trays of food and a fully stocked wet bar, all complimentary.  It looked like it was all there for me and me alone, since there wasn't anyone else there.

I found the juxtaposition of sushi trays, cheese plates and truffle dishes to be odd, but not unwelcome.


My suite was a modern marvel.


The bathroom had two of the fanciest urinals that I have ever seen- but no sink, which I found puzzling.


For some reason they put the sink over by the bar.

 Unlike most rooms, which have mini- bottles that cost a fortune, the Ninth Level suites all have mini-bars, and they are free. There was a time when I would have drank myself into a coma and probably gotten fired and/or hospitalized over it. I mean, four fifths liquor for one person for one night? That is a lot. Even at the zenith of my nadir I couldn't have pounded that much in one night. Unless I had a lot of coke, anyway..

 For a minute, I thought about calling the desk and having someone remove the booze, but I wasn't the slightest bit tempted by it, so I let it be.


Plus if I'd been drunk, the balcony would have presented  a falling hazard.

The beds had 'safety headboards' but there wasn't need for them on this trip.


It is lonely at the top, alas.



6 comments:

billy pilgrim said...

wow, life is good!

yellowdoggranny said...

damn!..and you didn't call me?

Judy Bracher Carmichael said...

NICE digs. Glad this wound up back online! And also, that you did not fall off that balcony.

Craig D said...

Two words:

"Swank"

"Keeeeeeeeeeee"

AngelConradie said...

Holy crap dude! That's some room! Did you eat all the food!?

Log Homes said...

Allan, you're a lucky guy. You had all the opportunities waiting in front of you. If I'm on your shoes, I'll embrace them. But come to think of having all the luxury in one time, you still remain alone by yourself with all your gadgets. You're very blessed to have such opportunity at hand.